Underwater cameras for False Bay marine research

Underwater cameras will be used to study marine populations in Cape Town's False Bay, the Save Our Seas Foundation said on Monday.

University of Cape Town researcher Lauren de Vos was using baited cameras to monitor fish stocks and study the population and movements of marine life, spokesman Peter Verhoog said in a statement.

"The pilot-study with underwater video footage of False Bay is already providing new insights into this biodiversity hot spot."

The study would provide a "fish-eye view" of sea life and would be shared with the international scientific community.

Footage from the False Bay project was available on http://saveourseas.com.

"Showing everyone the value of the seas through real-time video highlights the conservation value of this work and the foundation is proud to support it," Verhoog said.

Using remote cameras to study marine life is advantageous, because the method is relatively unobtrusive and the cameras can withstand depths that divers cannot.